Sweet Cakes nor Marmalade
by Rosage
Summary: Eirika/Tana. The war is over, and Eirika knows she and Tana can't return to their childhood...but that doesn't mean they can't find peace at night, one way or another.


_For Raphiael, who gave me the prompt Eirika/Tana-Aftermath._

Eirika laid awake, watching shadows crawl across her bedroom ceiling. The torch she'd lit only empowered them, and when she squeezed her eyes shut, she found the demons were imprinted on her lids. Shivering, she stood, sliding her slippers on before kicking them off in hopes the cold stone against her toes would distract her.

She felt for her scabbard, which she kept by her bedside despite the guards' insistence that the war was over. Drawing her sword, she hinged her knees and lunged. She repeated the maneuver, focusing on counting, on breathing, on the weight of her hip over her leg, spearing the darkness as if she could drive the shadows from her room.

How sad, she thought, that a weapon could bring her solace. It never would have in the past, when her brother's face at breakfast was still enough to chase nightmares from her mind. Nightmares should have been the least of her problems now, but they weren't. The enemy she fought during the war was tangible despite the dark magic animating it, and while she took no pleasure in victory the way Ephraim did, it was at least a goal she could achieve. Only sunrise could vanquish the monsters that chased her in the night.

_Don't be selfish_, she told herself. _Your people are suffering more. _She redid her stance and lunged.

The click of the door made her jump. Whirling, she pointed her sword at the intruder. "Who goes there?"

"Eirika! It's just me."

Eirika's arm trembled as she lowered it. "Ta…tana." Realizing how close she'd come to stabbing her made Eirika's heart pound. She sheathed the sword before her fancies could get out of hand.

Tana slipped into the room and shut the door just in time for a guard to call out. "Milady? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Eirika said. "It was just a nightmare."

Footsteps hesitated outside her door. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. And I do hope you weren't planning on entering a woman's bedchamber unannounced."

"Of…of course not, milady. Forgive me."

The footsteps shuffled away. Once they'd vanished, Tana let out a giggle.

"That poor man. I'll bet he's as red as your cape."

Eirika smiled. "Tana, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I got lonely. And I barely get to see you anymore."

Eirika strained to see what that chipper voice was hiding. She wondered if it was the same demons that kept her up. Compassion filling her, she set down her scabbard. Tana had asked for sparring lessons, but now wasn't the time.

"Come sit with me, then. We'll chat for old time's sake." Sitting on the bed, Eirika drew her knees to her chest and curled her toes around the mattress. It really was like old times, she thought. Past the age where Eirika was told it wasn't appropriate for Ephraim to be in her chambers, Tana had snuck in and gossiped until morning. She didn't know if it was appropriate for Tana now, but she hardly cared.

Tana settled beside her and sighed. "I got in a fight with Innes."

"What was it this time?"

"He didn't want me to come see you. Said I should wait until things 'calmed down.' Honestly! You'd think he'd know by now he can't keep me cooped up."

"But you're here, so he must have agreed…right?"

"No, I ordered Syrene to help me sneak out. I told her if he takes it out on her, tell me and I'll lace his supper."

Eirika stifled a laugh. "Tana, maybe next time you should come to an agreement first. He'll worry more this way, and sneaking out on your own isn't safe."

"Oh, not you, too."

Eirika patted her shoulder. "You know I didn't mean it that way, Tana. I just think it'd be better if you two could get along."

"Easy for you to say. You and Ephraim share everything."

Eirika thought of Ephraim running off to fight Grado without telling her, his pensiveness when they reunited, and the thin face that hid his grief when they fought Lyon. She hugged her knees closer. "That's not true."

"Oh, Eirika."

Eirika dropped her face to her knees. After a moment, she felt Tana's hand on her arm. She gripped Tana's fingers and squeezed.

They sat in silence. Tana shifted closer and laid her head against Eirika's shoulder. "Do you have nightmares, too?"

Eirika froze. They weren't supposed to talk about that. They were supposed to giggle about brothers and keep each other going until dawn.

"Yes."

"I…I had one where a spider killed Innes. I tried to help him, but the castle grew arms and held me back." Tana swallowed. The noise was loud in Eirika's ear. "I have that dream a lot. One time it was Syrene. Another time it was Ephraim." Her grip on Eirika's arm tightened. "Twice it was you."

Eirika squeezed Tana's hand. "Oh, Tana."

Tana buried her face in Eirika's neck. Her breath was hot against Eirika's skin. Eirika's heart raced. _Being with her should _calm _it, _she thought.

"After the second time, I snuck out of the palace. I had to be away from it…and near you."

Gauze sat on Eirika's tongue. "I see."

Tana shifted. Eirika was hyperaware of the noise. It had never been like this as children; she and Tana's bodies could touch or move in any way around each other without her forgetting to breathe.

A thumb stroked her arm. She strained to focus on Tana's words. "Remember when I snuck out during the war?" Tana asked.

"Of course. I was shocked to see you flying toward us."

"Oh, everyone was shocked. But I couldn't sit there and wait for you to return a moment longer."

_She chased after me, _Eirika's mind whispered. _Not Ephraim, me. _It shouldn't have mattered—she'd never begrudged Ephraim anything—but it did. Feeling petty, she hushed her thoughts. "I was happy to see you. It was a long journey, and I felt better with everyone together."

"Me, too," Tana said, sounding disappointed. She shifted away, letting cold air claim Eirika's neck. Distance stretched between them that Eirika struggled to fill.

_It's just Tana, _she reminded herself. _You've been friends forever. _Soothed, she squeezed Tana's hand. It was bonier than she remembered. "We'll have a feast for breakfast," she said. "I'll tell them to deliver it to my room."

"Sweet cakes and marmalade?" Tana asked.

Eirika smiled. "Of course."

Nudging closer, Tana leaned back into Eirika's neck. Though goose bumps rose, Eirika was glad whatever distance had been there was gone. Silence dragged on until Tana's fidgeting created threads of tension. "So," Tana said. "It's okay if I stay here tonight, right? I didn't give Renais warning, and I didn't want to bother the maids with preparing a room."

"Of course," Eirika said, wondering at the tone in Tana's voice, which sounded both familiar and not. Finally Eirika realized it was the one Tana used on Ephraim, only without the high pitch that rang false to Eirika's ears. It sounded uncertain, and rather than wonder why she was pleased, Eirika pondered how to chase the uncertainty away.

Still rubbing Eirika's arm, Tana's thumb slipped and brushed against Eirika's thigh. Eirika took in a sharp breath. "Tana."

Tana froze. "Yes?"

The time for uncertainty had passed. It wasn't possible to keep pretending this was like old times. She had to give Tana confirmation as to whether she should pull away, or…

Or what? Underneath the web of shadows on the ceiling, the unknown was enough to make Eirika reach for certainty. But as much as she longed to chase the darkness away with gossip and lace, she knew the war had changed them. And if they couldn't return to tea and sunshine, they'd have to find some other way of creating peace in the dark.

As Eirika shifted away, Tana let out a disappointed breath. Before Tana's grip could slacken, Eirika laced their fingers together and sat cross-legged to face her. She stroked Tana's hair before undoing the ribbon holding it and brushing it away from where it fell against Tana's neck. Part curious, part hopeful, Tana turned to her with a question in her eyes that Eirika answered by closing the gap with a kiss.


End file.
